Automatic steam-controller.



PATENT-BD SEPT. 26, 1905.

No. 800,323. Y

' W. E. BUYS.

AUTOMATIG STEAM CONTROLLER.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 25. 1904.

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. UNITED sTArns lWIL-LIS' n'. BOYS, or NnwV YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC STEAM-czolTnoLLIail Specification of Letters Patent. Y

Patented sept. 26, 1905.

Application fried February 25, 1904. serial Np. 195.203.

To a/ZZ whom t may concern."

, Be it known that I, WILLIS E. RoYs, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, Richmond Hill, borough ofQueens, in the county of Queens and State of New York, haveinvented anew and Improved Automatic Steam-Controller, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description. 4

The invention relates to heating systems for buildings; and its objectis to provide'a new and improved heat-.controller especially designedfor use on radiators and arranged to automatically shut off the heatingmedium in a room'whenever the temperaturethereof rises to apredetermined degree and in case the temperature falls below thepredetermined degree to automatically turn on the heat to the room'. n ll The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations ofthe same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointedout in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming apart of this speciiication, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure l is a side elevation of the improvements as applied to asteam-radiator. Fig. 2 is a-transverse section of the controller for thevalve of the steam-inlet pipe of the radiator. Fig. '3 is'a similar viewof the controllerfor the water-outlet valve of the radiator, and Fig. 4ris a front view of the controller for the inlet-valve ofthe radiator.

In the invention presently to bedescribed in detail use is made of theexpansive force.

of a liquid capable of expanding under the heat of the room and to suchan extent that at a predetermined degree of heat ina room furnished by aheating system of this ap-` quently a uniform heating of the wholebuildto one end of a movable plate F, as plainly shown inFig. 2. Amember H is located exteriorly of the radiator, and its upper end issecured to the pipe B, as at I. The lower ends of said plate F andmember H are loosely connected together to permit the plate F to moveangularly with reference to the member H. A thermostatA is placed ontheouter side of the plate F at the lower end thereof. A plate S bearsagainst the outer side o f the thermostat and is held in contacttherewith by means of screws E, the threaded stems of the latterengaging threaded openings with which the member lH is provided. `Henceby turning said screws the said plate S may be adjusted so that n,thesame may be cau'sed to press against the thermostat with any ldesireddegree of force. A spring D, which is here shown as a .coil-spring, isplaced between the upper portions of the plate F and member H and servesto lforce the said plate F outwardly.-

Since the thermostat and its connections and supporting'elements aredisposed exte- -riorly of the radiator, the member H being spaced fromthe radiator and the plate F being on thegouter side of. the member Hand spaced therefrom Iand the thermostat being on the outer side of theplate F, a free circulation of air is permitted between the radiator andthe ,member H and between the latter and the plate F, so that thethermostat is controlled by the temperature of the room in which theradiator isA llocated asdistinguished from the temperature of theradiator itself.

'The action vis as follows.: When the temperature of the. room rises,say, to 7 OO Fahrenheit, the, liquid in the thermostat expands likemercury in a thermometer and causes the plate F to move inwardly andclose the valve C. When the temperature of the room falls below7OO, theliquid inthe thermostat contracts, releasing the pressure on the plateF, and the spring D thereupon moves the said plate outwardly and causesthe same to open said valve. By appropriately turning the screws E thepressure of the spring D may be regulated and the thermostat set tooperate to close the valve at any desired degree of heat.

In the steam-inlet pipe B is arranged the IOO in Fig. 3 and contained ina chamber L, preferably disposed vertically and containing united metalbars N and N' of different expansibility and secured at their upper endsto the upper end of the chamber L, the bar N carrying at its free end avalve O, adapted to be seated on the inner end of a dischargeplug P,held adjustably in the chamber L and opening into a return-pipe Q forcarrying the Water of condensation back to the steamboiler or otherplace. Now the steam from the radiator A, passing' by way of thedischarge-pipe B into the chamber L, heats the bars N and N therein, sothat the valve O is moved onto its seat on the plug P to close thelatter, and thereby prevent escape of steam to the return-pipe Q. -Nowwhen the steam in the radiator and in the chamber L condenses and thewater of condensation in illing the chamber L reduces the temperature ofthe thermostat-bars N and N then the said bars iex in an oppositedirection, and consequently the valve O is moved otf its seat on theplug P to allow the water of condensation contained in the chamber L toflow out through the plug P and to pass into the return-pipe Q. When thesteam again passes into the chamber L after the latter is drained ofwater, then the thermostatic bars N and N again cause the valve O tomove to its seat on the plug P to close the latter.

In order to prevent undue vibration or fluctuation of the valve O, owingto the expansion and contraction of the thermostatic bars N and N,additional united metal bars N2 and N3 are provided, secured at one endto the bar N and curved to press at their middle portion against thescrew R of the chamber L and to press with their front end on the freeend of the bar N, so that when the auxiliary bars N2 and N3 expand withthe bars N and N', as previously described, then their free ends pressagainst the bars N and N to hold the Valve O firmly to its seat, andthus prevent undue vibration of the valve O and hammering of the valvein the water, as is so frequently the case with thermostats of thisconstruction not provided with the auxiliary bars N2 and N3.

The screw R is used to adjust the bars so that proper expansion will besecured to just seat the valve O at 2120 Fahrenheit.

Now from the foregoing it will be seen that the inlet of the steam toeach radiator is controlled by a thermostat actuated by the expansiveforce of a liquid conlined in aclosed chamber and the discharge of thewater from the radiator is controlled by a thermostat actuated by thesteam and water ol condensation ot' the radiator.

The device is very simple and durable in construction, can be cheaplymanufactured and readily applied to radiators as now constructed, and itis also very evident that the device may be readily applied.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In combination with a radiator havinga supply-pipeand a controlling-valve therein, a member secured to the saidsupply-pipe and disposed exteriorly ot' and spaced from the radiator, amovable plate spaced from and disposed on the outer side ol said memberand connected to the valve to control the latter, a spring to normallyopen said valve, and a thermostat on the outer side of the movable plateand adapted to operate the same to close said valve.

2. In combination with a radiator, a pipe communicating therewith andhaving a valve, a member secured tothe said pipe and disposed exteriorlyof the radiator, a plate movable toward and from said member, disposedon the outer side thereof and connected tothe valve, a spring to movethe movable plate iu one direction and a thermostat also disposedexteriorly of the radiator, and spaced from the said member, saidthermostat being effective to move the movable plate in the reversedirection.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specilication in thepresence ol two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIS E. ROYS.

Witnesses:

EDWARD Lrsii, C. S. GULICK.

